I would have her take it back. I would think she could find something better for 799.00.
Try a LG or Sony. I'm a little biased against Samsung based on my experiences.

Yea, at first she was going to get a Sony Bravia LCD (again we are talking entry level sets here) that Walmart had rolled back the price on, but all the stores are out with no ETA to give her. Thanks for the input.

Here's my goal: a good LCD in the 40-42" size in the US$700 to US$900 price range--and it must have 120 Hz refresh!

The only crappy downside is right now all the stores are transitioning to 2010 models, so I either 1) are disappointed last year's models are no longer in stock or 2) it would be at least a few weeks before the new models arrive.

So I am looking to replace my 55 inch Olevia that I got from woot a year and a half ago. Here is what I am looking for:

1. Budget
About 1200, but I will go higher for the right set that I can be happy with and not have to upgrade for at least a couple years.

2. Seating distance
About 13 feet at the farthest point.

3. Size/placement limitations
I live in military housing so the rooms dont have much decorating options. I also have a L-shaped couch and only 1 viable wall/corner for a TV, further limiting options. Maybe something with a swivel?

4. Uses and sources
Primarily HD television content and Blu-Rays. I also order a lot of sporting event PPV's. I also do a lot of gaming (360) and watch a lot of content off of my computer. At least three HDMI ports is desirable. I do not really need an S-video connection however.

5. Room lighting
My current living room has an entire wall made up windows. I work 2nd shift so I do have blackout curtains. I guess what im saying is it can be really bright or really dark, so lighting isnt really a concern.

Other: I have reviewed CNETs Best TV lists but still cant make a decision. I was thinking one of the ultra-thin samsung plasmas, but was scared by all the reviews mentioning buzzing. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Assuming you still want something above 50", at that price point it gets pretty limited. Maybe look at Toshiba or Vizio models.

Sales galore will be starting soon so I have selected the 3 HDTV's indicated
and truthfully find little difference between them other than price. I am not
a guru on TV's and after scanning the spec's I am leaning towards the
Toshiba 55ZV650U. For the most part of my TV watching is sports and
watching Blu-Ray movies. Your thoughts please.

Thanks

Out of those 3 I would recommend the 52B750, mostly because I have one and it is awesome. You might be able to find a 55B650 cheaper, though. It's a nice LCD, too.

I've been having a really hard time deciding what to pick up. I don't have a lot of time to do real good research. I need something fairly lag free as I do game and I hear (on here) that the Sammy's have some bad lag input which is unacceptable. I don't really have any brands that I prefer.

I don't really care whether it is Plasma or LCD. I haven't had much time to check out LEDs either, but I'm wondering if you guys could point me to the best panels in that price range.

If it helps, I'm local to the DC area.

Thanks!

If you are looking for low input lag, I'd recommend waiting to see how 2010 models perform. It seems 2010 models are going to be a bit cheaper than 2009. Keep an eye for info on new 2010 models in the Input Lag thread. The link to the thread is in the first post.

I'm looking to choose between a 40" Z5100 or a 40" NX700. I can get the Z for almost half the price of the NX700. The Z is 240hz while the NX700 is just 120hz, but the NX is LED (edgelit), while the Z is CCFL. And the NX700 looks very cool with the monolithic design. And is the NX700 even 10-bit? Both are Bravia Engine 3. And I don't care about Wifi on the NX700 since I have a ps3.

My heart wants to go for the NX700, but my brain tells me the Z is better value..

I've heard the Z has flashlighting issues, but does the NX700? Does LED actually improve the quality of the picture versus CCFL?

i own a 32" dynex tv that i bought off of a fellow i know for 300$. it's great - except for a few major things.

1. it's got only two hdmi ports. ps3, two 360s, and computer all run into it with hdmi, necessitating the purchase of an hdmi switch. i love the switch i bought, however it's annoying dealing with it. plus, hdcp doesn't always translate through the switch (usually, but once in a while it sticks), necessitating me cycling the switch to get it to 'bite'. crappy switch? maybe. but there's signal degradation every time you pass-through something regardless.

2. it's only 32"! :<<br />
3. no general optical out, meaning that all audio has to go into a separate switch as well (n64, ps2, ps3, 360, vcr, and tv all have another big switch to toggle). this means that, every time i turn on something different, i have to get up and switch both the video and the audio. no remotes on either. plus, there's signal degradation.

i'm looking for a replacement, primarily for gaming but also for movies and web TV. my main job is being a composer for video games, so i'd like a tv that's going to excel with gaming on current consoles, as well as allow me to use older stuff once and a while. i watch some movies, not a lot, but the PS3's bluray player does get used at my house. i do not need good speakers, but i would like an optical out to go to my 5.1 audio system.

i will need:
-gorgeous picture quality
-no less than four hdmi inputs, the more the better
-at least 120hz technology (ps3 3d games coming in Q4 2010!)
-good response time (duh!)
-46", no less, maybe a touch more
-optical audio out
-at least one composite video inputs, preferably two or three
-at least one component video inputs, preferably two
-brightness and contrast ratios that are decent (room will have windows, but i'll cover them when playing

i will NOT need:
-good speakers
-web features (useless with a pc equipped)
-portability

beyond that, i don't even have an idea what to look for. what's led tech...realistically speaking? what's the difference between 120, 240, and 480hz in a real-world situation?

i don't mind buying off-brand - my dynex has been stellar, and i don't plan on ditching it any time soon (particularly for what i paid for it...what a deal!). all that matters is that it does a good job and doesn't break.

last thing - i'd prefer to spend less than 800 or so for this tv. so, don't recommend a 2200$ tv just because it's good. i know there are good, cheap tvs out there (my father-in-law just bought a pretty nice hitachi 46" for 875 at sam's club that i'm looking at too), and i don't mind waiting for deals to come around. just tell me what to look for, and i'll be ready when the time comes. i can pay more if it's totally worth it, but there needs to be a lot of price-to-performance to make it worth it.

help? i'd prefer testimonials over just lmgtfy links, which is why i'm asking here rather than elsewhere. i've got a sam's club membership, and their TVs are often 400-500$ off of the general list price, so if you see one there i'm all about it.

thanks, everyone!

Sounds like you should be looking at 60Hz LCDs. You should look for information and recommendations in the Input Lag thread, as it sounds like this will be very important for you. Link to the thread is in the first post. If you want ultra low input lag, maybe you should be considering plasma.

I missed this thread when I made this post yesterday under the general LCD display title. I did put a lot of investigation in to this, but a couple things made me balk at buying it.

I'm looking for a 32" TV/monitor. The following things are a must:
1080P
Individual calibration of RGB
Computer input
S Video, and composite inputs to monitor my home theatre processor
Of course HDMI which they all seem to have.
under $550 shipped would be nice.

Viewing distance 4'
Sound will come from my HT rig, so that isn't an issue.

I'll be using it to watch some T.V. news and stuff, to spare the constant use of my JVC RS-10U projector. It will also be my computer monitor. It must also have a regular computer input, so that I can see what the computer is doing as it boots, and if I have to go in to safe mode etc. The one I was one mouse click away from buying is the Sony KDL-32EX400. It fits every single thing that I have mention but I wonder about the RGB calibration. I've seen some real cheap T.V.'s that have it, but I can't find anything about it in the owners manual. If a few people are absolutely sure that it has that, I'll buy it tomorrow morning.

I really was ready to click, "Purchase Now", and I thought that I better check with you guys first. LOL The OTHER alternative to RGB adjustment, is one that nails the colors correctly out of the box, say with a "natural" setting or something. The reason I need that, is I'll be doing a bit of color adjusting with certain video files, and I want to have an accurate reference in the first place.

When you say that you want RGB adjustment, are you referring to color gamut (color space) or white balance (grayscale)? The Samsung 32B550 has white balance controls, but appears to be missing the color gamut custom controls that the higher models have. The 32B650 is a bit more expensive, but it has those custom color gamut controls. You might also want to consider the 2010 C series equivalents, they just came out. Perhaps the 32C550 will have those custom color gamut controls. Unfortunately, its user manual isn't posted on the Samsung site, yet.

I need a little help for the step daughter. She received her tax refund and wanted to upgrade her crappy 25" 12 year old set. She lives in an apartment and sits around 7-8 foot from the set. She is able to control lighting fairly well with blinds. She went and purchased a Magnavox 47MF439B from Target for $799.00. She got it home and I set it up yesterday using an HDMI cable from her Comcast HD STB and Component from a Pioneer Elite progressive dvd player that I had laying around, as well as rcas from an old Playstation 2. I have not really kept up with specs after purchasing my last tv 1-1/2 years ago. It worries me the set is only 60 Hz and I'm not real big on Magnavox as a brand. I was seeing a lot of artifacting last night, but I have to spend time doing a better calibration next weekend. Is she making a big mistake keeping this tv? Should we find something in her $800 price range (obviously we are looking at an entry level set) with 120 Hz in a 45-48 inch set? Fortunately we have 90 days to either calibrate the set to her liking, or return it for a better option. Thanks.

Maybe she did good for herself. Do the issues that matter to you in this regard matter to her? Is she happy with it?

Here's my goal: a good LCD in the 40-42" size in the US$700 to US$900 price range--and it must have 120 Hz refresh!

The only crappy downside is right now all the stores are transitioning to 2010 models, so I either 1) are disappointed last year's models are no longer in stock or 2) it would be at least a few weeks before the new models arrive.

I'd recommend checking out the new Panasonic LCDs coming out at the end of March.

General advice is to buy the largest name brand screen you can afford. Unless you viewing distance is very short you're almost always better off getting a larger screen than moving up the line in the same brand. Refer to the Sizing chart in the 1st post before you drop a lot of $$$ on 1080p/120hz etc.

Stick with one of the major 5 brands (Samsung, Sony, Sharp, LG, Panasonic) for repair support and format compatibility. The big brands tend to support 1:1 pixel mapping and multiple resolutions, 3rd tier sets are more likely to have compatibility issues with other equipment.

what are the comments about the Toshiba 47ZV650U? I've been looking for a 40"-47" LCD 120HZ set for under $1000, I been doing so much research and really have been so confused on so many models to choose from, that I decided to go for either a 46" or 47" set which will suit me for the next 5 and beyond years hence the 120HZ feature, basic needs are for Directv service, no HD yet but maybe in the near future, Blu-Ray as well in the near future, no PC, no gaming needs, distance about 10-12' away, lighting area can be well lit or dimmed to suit the LCD set viewing, would like more suggestions as well please, thanks for the help

Alright, I've been living with a Vizio 32XL wal-mart special for quite some time and figured it time for an upgrade. I've settled on three, based mainly on price (~$700): the Panasonic Viera TC-L42U22, the Sony 40EX400, and the Samsung 40C530. I've only had a chance to check out the prior generations of the Panny and Sammy (the u12 and the b530) but I'm assuming the price range will stay pretty much the same. These will mainly be used for gaming (360 using component cables), maybe some local HD content (until I can get a blu-ray player), and The Hills(girlfriend). I do have rather large patio doors to the left of my screen but I have some hefty blinds that are usually closed. What would you all suggest?

i own a 32" dynex tv that i bought off of a fellow i know for 300$. it's great - except for a few major things.

1. it's got only two hdmi ports. ps3, two 360s, and computer all run into it with hdmi, necessitating the purchase of an hdmi switch. i love the switch i bought, however it's annoying dealing with it. plus, hdcp doesn't always translate through the switch (usually, but once in a while it sticks), necessitating me cycling the switch to get it to 'bite'. crappy switch? maybe. but there's signal degradation every time you pass-through something regardless.

2. it's only 32"! :<<br />
3. no general optical out, meaning that all audio has to go into a separate switch as well (n64, ps2, ps3, 360, vcr, and tv all have another big switch to toggle). this means that, every time i turn on something different, i have to get up and switch both the video and the audio. no remotes on either. plus, there's signal degradation.

i'm looking for a replacement, primarily for gaming but also for movies and web TV. my main job is being a composer for video games, so i'd like a tv that's going to excel with gaming on current consoles, as well as allow me to use older stuff once and a while. i watch some movies, not a lot, but the PS3's bluray player does get used at my house. i do not need good speakers, but i would like an optical out to go to my 5.1 audio system.

i will need:
-gorgeous picture quality
-no less than four hdmi inputs, the more the better
-at least 120hz technology (ps3 3d games coming in Q4 2010!)
-good response time (duh!)
-46", no less, maybe a touch more
-optical audio out
-at least one composite video inputs, preferably two or three
-at least one component video inputs, preferably two
-brightness and contrast ratios that are decent (room will have windows, but i'll cover them when playing

i will NOT need:
-good speakers
-web features (useless with a pc equipped)
-portability

beyond that, i don't even have an idea what to look for. what's led tech...realistically speaking? what's the difference between 120, 240, and 480hz in a real-world situation?

i don't mind buying off-brand - my dynex has been stellar, and i don't plan on ditching it any time soon (particularly for what i paid for it...what a deal!). all that matters is that it does a good job and doesn't break.

last thing - i'd prefer to spend less than 800 or so for this tv. so, don't recommend a 2200$ tv just because it's good. i know there are good, cheap tvs out there (my father-in-law just bought a pretty nice hitachi 46" for 875 at sam's club that i'm looking at too), and i don't mind waiting for deals to come around. just tell me what to look for, and i'll be ready when the time comes. i can pay more if it's totally worth it, but there needs to be a lot of price-to-performance to make it worth it.

help? i'd prefer testimonials over just lmgtfy links, which is why i'm asking here rather than elsewhere. i've got a sam's club membership, and their TVs are often 400-500$ off of the general list price, so if you see one there i'm all about it.

thanks, everyone!

Yeah take a peak at the thread in my sig on input lag, depending on what types of games you plan to play on it will determine how low the input lag needs to be.

you will often need to sacrifice 120hz to get a very low lag TV but there are some 120hz models out there that perform good

from my experience if you are mainly playing FPS games and other normal games you want a TV that has no more than 3 frames delayed but preferably 2 frames at the most for good performance in all games

Sharp E77U's are 120hz sets with very low input lag at 1 frame delay in game mode and definitely great for gaming, their picture quality is not as good as sony and samsung TV's but they are much better with games the 46" model online is at the upper end of you budget too and that is a great deal for a 46" 120hz LCD TV

Toshiba xv645u series TV's are ok for gaming at 2 frames delayed and are 120hz but there are many downsides to it's game mode that i discovered including bad image smearing so i have a hard time recommending it

many LG 120hz models are good performers with about 2 frames of delay but performance on these TV's is not as well known, i've only seen the top of the line LH90 model tested and its way out of your price range but it did perform good with 2 frames of lag and its local dimming was even active and it was not in game mode.

I would avoid all current Sony and Samsung TV's all of the 2009 models have been shown to have at minimum 3 frames or more of lag and i've seen a 60hz 2010 samsung tested to be the same so its doubtful that samsung has improved their new models as many hoped, new sony's have yet to be tested for input lag but its likely they will not perform any better than 2009 models because aside for the yet unreleased top of the line sony's that will use sharp panels the rest of their line is using the same internals for the most part as 2009 models.

i'm not sure what 3D games are going to require on the PS3 but i would bet it will require one of the new yet to be released 3D capable TV and normal 120hz models are very unlikely to work with this new 3D stuff. in honesty though with your budget i do not think 3D is in your price range and you should forget about it because its likely to be a gimmick or a fad, i've used shutter type 3D with a PC many years ago and it was a wash then and the flicker is quite annoying i doubt it will be a must have thing anytime soon and its also only likely to increase input lag rather than lower it.

If you're a gamer or interested in using an LCD TV as a primary monitor take a look at my thread on Input Lag

Alright, I've been living with a Vizio 32XL wal-mart special for quite some time and figured it time for an upgrade. I've settled on three, based mainly on price (~$700): the Panasonic Viera TC-L42U22, the Sony 40EX400, and the Samsung 40C530. I've only had a chance to check out the prior generations of the Panny and Sammy (the u12 and the b530) but I'm assuming the price range will stay pretty much the same. These will mainly be used for gaming (360 using component cables), maybe some local HD content (until I can get a blu-ray player), and The Hills(girlfriend). I do have rather large patio doors to the left of my screen but I have some hefty blinds that are usually closed. What would you all suggest?

if you do a lot of gaming on the TV you may want to read my thread on input lag

strictly for gaming purposes i would pick the panasonic over the sony and samsung models because it will have less input lag than them both but it is worth noting that the 42U12 panny had almost as much lag as sony and samsung sets, Panasonic's 37" 1080p models are the best for gaming bar none, i own a 37S1 for that reason they are some of the best if not the best gaming TV's available today but if picture quality is more of a concern they do not have as dark blacks as sony and samsung sets normally do so its a trade off.

lastly if your not sitting very close to the TV and you do not mind closing the blinds to watch TV in the daytime your best bang for the buck would be a 720p plasma but that's neither here nor there so check out the plasma forum if you want to look into them, I'm not going to get into a discussion on that subject in this thread it will only cause problems

If you're a gamer or interested in using an LCD TV as a primary monitor take a look at my thread on Input Lag

the sharp E77U will be the best choice out of the 4 for gaming due to low input lag in game mode, followed by the LG LH90 and the LG will have the best picture quality of the bunch but size really is more important than overall Picture quality IMO

if you want to read more about input lag then check out the thread in my sig

If you're a gamer or interested in using an LCD TV as a primary monitor take a look at my thread on Input Lag

Sound is not an issue as it will be hooked up to my home theater system at all times, and extra functionality such as Internet capable apps is not needed as I have my Xbox 360 set up pretty well with Windows Media Center 7.

Primary usage will be watching movies & playing 360 games.

My friend has a 47" Vizio from Wal-Mart, and it's alright, but I think I can do better than that for a similar price.

Sound is not an issue as it will be hooked up to my home theater system at all times, and extra functionality such as Internet capable apps is not needed as I have my Xbox 360 set up pretty well with Windows Media Center 7.

Primary usage will be watching movies & playing 360 games.

My friend has a 47" Vizio from Wal-Mart, and it's alright, but I think I can do better than that for a similar price.

if you do a lot of gaming on the TV then read my thread on input lag to determine how important it is to you and get an idea of what brand/models typically are fast etc.

If you're a gamer or interested in using an LCD TV as a primary monitor take a look at my thread on Input Lag

I guess the most important thing I would like to make sure of is that I have a TV with low lag, and 1x1 pixel mapping so that I get a clean and crisp display from the HTPC. I will be upgrading my graphics card to an HDMI out to handle from the HTPC end. Might end up building a simple HTPC in the future but right now it will use my existing system with an upgraded video card.

5. Room lighting
Not a factor...

If anyone can point me in the right direction I would appreciate it as browsing and reading for months trying to make a decision can drive someone close to insanity. Thanks.

I guess the most important thing I would like to make sure of is that I have a TV with low lag, and 1x1 pixel mapping so that I get a clean and crisp display from the HTPC. I will be upgrading my graphics card to an HDMI out to handle from the HTPC end. Might end up building a simple HTPC in the future but right now it will use my existing system with an upgraded video card.

5. Room lighting
Not a factor...

If anyone can point me in the right direction I would appreciate it as browsing and reading for months trying to make a decision can drive someone close to insanity. Thanks.

Definitely check out the input lag thread for more info, a link to it is in the first post in this thread. Models from Sharp would probably be your best choice for input lag.

I guess the most important thing I would like to make sure of is that I have a TV with low lag, and 1x1 pixel mapping so that I get a clean and crisp display from the HTPC. I will be upgrading my graphics card to an HDMI out to handle from the HTPC end. Might end up building a simple HTPC in the future but right now it will use my existing system with an upgraded video card.

5. Room lighting
Not a factor...

If anyone can point me in the right direction I would appreciate it as browsing and reading for months trying to make a decision can drive someone close to insanity. Thanks.

link to the thread Shark mentioned is in my sig and i concur that Sharp models specifically the E77U would be a great choice for a 120hz gaming LCD TV

also as long as your video card has DVI output you can use a DVI to HDMI adapter/cable because as far as the video signal is concerned they are the same thing just with different connectors

If you're a gamer or interested in using an LCD TV as a primary monitor take a look at my thread on Input Lag